Rockwell Automation and Cisco Launch New Architectures to Reduce Security Risks in Industrial Automation Environments

Rockwell Automation and Cisco are announcing new additions to their Converged Plantwide Ethernet (CPwE) architectures to address constantly changing security practices as operations technology (OT) and information technology (IT) are converging in industrial markets along with the incorporation of the Industrial Internet of Things (IIoT). The latest CPwE security expansions feature technology from both companies, which includes design guidance and validated architectures to help build more secure networks across the plant and enterprise.

The Industrial IoT is elevating the need for flexible, secure connectivity between things, machines, work flows, databases and people, enabling new models of policy-based plant-floor access. Through these new connections, machine data on the plant floor can be analyzed and applied to determine optimal operation and supply-chain work flows for improved efficiencies and cost savings. A securely connected environment also enables organizations to mitigate risk with policy compliance, and protects intellectual property with secure sharing between global stakeholders.

Core to the new validated architectures is a focus on enabling OT and IT to utilize security policies and procedures by forming multiple layers of defense. A defense-in-depth approach helps manufacturers by establishing processes and policies that identify and contain evolving threats in industrial automation and control systems. The new CPwE architectures leverage industry standards, such as IEC 62443, and provide recommendations for more securely sharing data across an industrial demilitarized zone, as well as enforcing policies that control access to the plantwide wired or wireless networks.

Rockwell Automation and Cisco have created resources to help manufacturers deploy security solutions. Each new guide is accompanied by a white paper summarizing the key design principles:

• The Industrial Demilitarized Zone Design and Implementation Guide and white paper provide guidance to users on securely sharing data from the plant floor through the enterprise.                                                                     http://literature.rockwellautomation.com/idc/groups/literature/documents/wp/enet-wp038_-en-p.pdf

• The Identity Services Design and Implementation Guide and white paper introduce an approach to security policy enforcement that tightly controls access by anyone inside the plant, whether they are trying to connect via wired or wireless access.                                                http://literature.rockwellautomation.com/idc/groups/literature/documents/wp/enet-wp037_-en-p.pdf

Solutions from Rockwell Automation and Cisco are available to address security from a holistic perspective. Together, the two companies provide a common architecture for industrial Ethernet and enterprise networks, along with services, such as security assessments and managed security, to help manufacturers define and meet performance metrics and scale in-house resources.

This announcement further extends the partnership between Rockwell Automation and Cisco to help manufacturers bridge gaps between plant-floor industrial automation and higher-level information systems.

Keywords: Plantwide Ethernet, Internet of Things (IoT), Converged Plantwide Ethernet (CPwE), Operations Technology (OT), Information Technology (IT), Industrial Automation, Control Systems, ARC Advisory Group.